What Comes Before the Fall
by Rahar Moonfire
Summary: Atlantis, the city that sank beneath the sea. Hunters and Prey. Magic and Alchemy. Hounds and Dragons. A Ghost and a Shadow. A mirror reflects the truth, but is truth must be seen for it to have meaning. What is an ill omen? YAOI KuroFai
1. Interlude 1

**A/N:** I started posting this on , but I wasn't getting very many readers and/or reviews. So I'm reposting it here in fanfiction form.

**FYI: **This is the original story _Pirate's Love _is based off of. I've changed all the character's name and some of the places to CLAMP names. I warn you, there are many characters in this, most from CLAMP and other from some other stories. See if you can spot them. ;) I will try to keep the pairings canon, but some will be rather interesting surprises. There WILL be yaoi/shounen-ai content ion this later on. The main pairings are: **KuroFai, TouyaxYukito, ReixRuka, ShinxYuda.** The others are more hinted at. If you can think of any other clamp characters, send them to me in PMs or reviews *hint, hint* so I can draw more names to fit my characters.

Also, all the chapters with **Interlude** as the title, are from the past. Everything else is all the present time.

**Warning: **Attempted rape.

**What Comes Before the Fall**

**Interlude 1**

Princess Shashi gazed out over the Undersea and the city of Atlantis sprawled out before her. The golden faerie lights glittered in windows and in the streets. Several moved and bobbed as the boats they were attached to moved in the waves of Undersea. The waters above the city rippled in the currents of Uppersea. The daystar's light was almost gone leaving Atlantis in a watery blue bubble. It was beautiful. Shashi took a deep breathe of the salty air.

She thought of what it would be like to join the Hunt with the Royal Hunters who would travel to the surface, every so often bringing back a few spoils. Sometimes it was gold and riches, other times it was cloth, spices, and perfumes, and yet other times it was a small group of wild humans. She didn't like the idea of taking wild humans to Atlantis as prizes. She didn't like the idea of wild humans in Atlantis, period. But it wasn't her call, and wouldn't be for a little while longer. But then again, her favorite maidservant, Adra, a dark haired, dark skinned, dark eyed woman, was a wild human and a great companion to boot. She shrugged to herself. This world was full of irony.

She turned away from the open air and walked back into the warmth of the palace. She lived in the Princess's Quarters. They weren't as decorated or as elegant and elaborate as the Queen's Quarters where her mother lived, but that was just as well. She was more of a simple styled woman. She preferred candles to faerie lights, river stones and pebbles to the sprinkled rose petals, green living plants to the brown cuttings from old trees, and ruff, woven rugs to the soft woolen rugs. But she couldn't fight against the long sheer curtains that hung from the ceiling giving the room a sense of the elegance as well as the needed privacy.

She started stripping down as she approached the bath, a large pool set in the center of her quarters and easily accessible from all parts. The bath patio was built under a ceiling of leather-like cloth that could be closed or opened by the whim of the current princess's magic. She reached up with her magic and ordered the ceiling to open, exalting in the cool, salty, night air.

Rose petals and lotus blooms floated in the still water. She climbed the two steps to the rim of the bath and gazed at the steaming water. Smooth dark pebbles and candles of varying heights ringed the rim of the pool. She smiled and watched as the water rippled as she stepped into the warm water. She walked over to her favorite niche and sat down. The warm water lapped at her neck and surrounded her body taking away the aches and pains of the day. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of roses and lavender.

Shashi was the Princess of Atlantis and Heir to the Hunter's Throne. She looked it too. She was of medium height with long auburn hair and striking green eyes. Her pale skin was tinted gold from the many candle flames. Her hands were delicate, but not without their share of calluses from handling the Gabriel Hounds. Her ears were gracefully pointed and her dark lashes were long.

Sleep was just a sigh away from a comforting and much needed nap when she heard the faintest sound. Almost like a gasp. She quickly opened her eyes and sat up. "Hello?" she called into the illuminated patio. "Who's there? Adra is that you?" She strained to see into the shadows created by the candlelight and the many sheer curtains rippling in the night breeze from the open ceiling.

She stood up in the water, ignoring the rose petals that stuck to her body. Her wet hair tumbled to her upper back and over her breasts. "Hello? Who's there?"

This time, she did see movement. Several of the curtains shifted against the breeze as a burred shadow ran toward her bedchamber. "Hey! Hey stop!" she yelled. She snatched the dress set by the entrance to her bath and ran to her bed room as she pulled it on all the time hollering for the figure to stop running. Upon reaching her rooms she slowed her pace before stepping in.

Her loose-fitting cotton dress whispered on the flagstone floor. She stepped inside as she fumbled with her sash in an attempt to tie a knot. Nervously she fingered the diving neckline with twitching fingers. Where was Adra when she needed her?

"Hello?" she called into the disturbing silence of the room. She noted that nothing appeared disturbed. That, at least, was a good sign. Or so she hoped.

"Who's there? I saw you. If you turn yourself over now, I promise I will forget any of this happened. Now, come on. Come out."

"I'm here, Princess," a voice whispered into her ear, right behind her.

Shashi spun around, only to see a tall, handsome man, possibly in his early fifties, standing before her. She backed up a pace or two. She hadn't been expecting this sort of intruder. What was a mature Elf of obviously high standing doing in her private quarters without permission?

"Who are you?" she asked. She recognized him from somewhere but she couldn't remember.

"Don't remember me, Princess? Shame. I remember you, though." Eri flinched away. The man had actually reached up and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Please, tell me why you're here. Is there something going on? Am I needed?"

"Yes and yes. You are needed, Princess. Needed by me," he stepped forward, and she stepped back. But the man just smiled a dazzling smile and crossed the distance between them in one step, grabbed her, and kissed her, hard. His searching hands touching and feeling. His lips swallowed hers in the painful and most unwanted kiss.

Shashi pushed him away and retreated. "How dare you! You should know better than to touch a woman like that without her permission!"

The man laughed. His large brown eyes glittered with and unholy fire as he said, "Permission? Who says I need permission? I want something, I get it. That's how the world works now, Princess. Better get that through your pretty head." He deliberately stepped forward and she stepped back, right into a column. Trapped!

He was very close to her now. She felt the column press against her back while her hands felt for some way to escape. Now she realized how thin the fabric of her dress really was. How thin the barrier between him and her was. She pressed up close to the column in a desperate attempt to keep him away.

"Stay back," she warned, though she knew how pathetic her warning seemed, especially when he tilted back his head and laughed. This was her chance. She ducked and dashed past him, but she didn't make it far before she felt strong hands catch her and pull her back. Her captor pressed her body against his as she struggled to escape his clutches. The more she struggled, the harder he pressed, until she gasped for breath. She felt his hot breath against her ear as her panicked eyes searched desperately for some weakness to take advantage of. She found none.

"I always did like my girls fiery," her captor whispered into her ear. She whimpered as her breath came in short gasps. "That's right, relax. I want you to save your strength for when the fun really starts."

The man's head turned and she followed his gaze, which rested on the large bed nestled in the corner of the room surrounded by thick red curtains. A window was set on the inside wall allowing the moonlight to shine through. But it was barred by strong golden bars in a diamond pattern. Slowly, her captor walked her over to the bed. She cried out and struggled in his grasp, but he held her tight.

Once they reached the bedside he pushed her violently onto the bed. Shashi crawled across the sheets to the foot of the bed in hopes of escaping but she was stopped as a heavy weight crushed her onto the bed. She screamed, but it was muffled by the bed sheets that pressed against her face.

"There, there now. Hold still. I need to pull the curtains. Don't want any stray person to hear you scream now do we?" The weight lessened somewhat as the man reached up and pulled the curtains closed enclosing them in complete darkness save only for the moonlight shining through the window. Shashi cried into the bed.

"There, now. All alone. No one to accidentally stumble into to our fun. Can't have that. Now let's get these annoying clothes off. Be difficult to have fun with them on." Shashi struggled and cried out as he rolled her over onto her back and started tearing at her clothes. She scratched at his face but he struck her on the cheek stunning her. Her struggles were less coordinated and half hearted now, as if the bruise he'd given her had knocked some sense out of her. He smiled and continued to rip her dress apart to get to her skin underneath. But even uncoordinated, the brat's hands still blocked him. So instead, he leaned forward and kissed her again, and was gratified by a weak whimper.

Then came the angry roar, and the sharp knives stabbing into the man's back. Now _he_ screamed and spun around, only to see darkness. But he felt something pounce onto his chest, something with sharp, gripping knives. He screamed again but a club-like object swatted his face smashing him to the floor where he lay still in a bloody mess.

The newcomer turned his attention to the weeping girl still lying on the bed crying. He sat awkwardly on the bed next to her. Gently he caressed her now bare arm as she sobbed into the bed sheets. He felt helpless, which was an uncomfortably common felling he had here. He needed to do something. This was when he needed the Butterfly Lady. A woman's touch was needed here, not a man's.

Uncomfortably, he shifted his position and said, as gently as he could, but still managing to disguise his voice in a gravely tone, "It's all right, now, Lady. He's dead. I promise he won't touch you again." He sighed and shook his head at how pathetic those words sounded at the moment. It felt stupid saying things like this. He never was much of a comforter.

She stirred, and he turned his attention back to her. "Who...who are you?" she asked quietly, a little shake in her voice.

The newcomer hesitated. Technically, he wasn't even supposed to be here. He collected himself before answering, "A friend." He paused, then added, "A friend who means you no harm."

The girl shifted in the darkness so that he could see her eyes. They were a splendid shade of green. He suddenly felt extremely conscious of the dim, watery moonlight that flickered its way through the gold barred window. Instinctively, he slid back a bit into the concealing shadows, praying that she couldn't see his eyes. Thanks goodness the Pale Star was waning.

Shashi gazed at her rescuer shyly, very conscious of her torn dress, the position she was in, where they were, and that her rescuer was a male. She tried to see him but apparently the lights outside of the bed's curtains had been extinguished as well leaving the two of them in almost total darkness. She could only see the hand that rested on her bare, bruised arm. It was gentle, moon pale, and smooth. She raised her gaze to where she thought the man's face would be and asked, "Why did you kill him?"

A stupid question to ask, from her point of view, but still. She didn't approve of killing, even when it was the last resort. She had to know. Her keen eyesight noted the sudden tenseness of the hand on her arm with curiosity. There was a flicker of movement in the shadows as a deeper shadow shifted, she guessed uncomfortably. She caught a glimpse of something that could be the moonlight reflecting off something but it was gone before she could focus on it.

The young man didn't know what to say. What was there to say? He hadn't meant to kill the man, but he knew in his heart that he'd wanted to. He had wanted to kill him, so kill him he did. Though, he regretted it now. He looked at those intelligent green eyes and felt his conscience prick. "I couldn't stand to see what he was doing to you," he answered honestly.

"But why kill him?"

"I..I don't know."

She was silent for what seemed like a long time while he sat drinking in those beautiful eyes. Green like the leaves he often slept under, or like the moss that grew on the rocks, or like the grass that bent in the breeze. So beautiful.

"What do you want in return?"

Shashi watched the darker shadow closely for some sort of reaction to her question. She saw the shadow move suddenly and felt the gentle hand on her tighten in what she took as surprise. Her rescuer had either not anticipated the question, or he hadn't expected her to bring it up so abruptly.

"What do you mean 'what do I want in return'?" asked the husky voice belonging to the hand.

"I mean," she said, sitting up a bit, "what do you want in payment for rescuing me?"

"Payment…"

The young man definitely hadn't expected payment. Why should he? He nearly voiced this when from somewhere deep in his mind, came another thought. He voiced this instead.

"All I want is kiss."

A kiss? That's all? Shashi half-sat, half-lay there on the bed where she had almost been raped, in a tattered dress, gazing at a rescuer she couldn't see, but whose hand still clutched her arm, in shock. She had just been kissed by the cruelest man in the world, by her point of view, and now her rescuer wanted a kiss too. What was with men and kisses? But, then again, he did save her…

"No money, no riches, no power, no," here she jerked her chin to where the body of her attacker approximately lay, "'fun'?"'

"No."

Shashi thought a moment. She did owe this person her virginity if nothing else. "Very well. But, come into the light."

Here, the young man realized his mistake. Hurriedly he tried to cover up his blunder. "I would rather not," he said, rather lamely he berated.

"Please, I don't bite," she smiled, so dazzling, "hard."

"Only if you close your eyes."

He watched as her smile faltered. "Very well."

"And one more thing," the young man added.

"I thought all you wanted was a kiss?" she asked, her eyes now suspicious, her smile gone.

"It is all I want. But, when I've kissed you, will…will you keep your eyes closed for a count to ten?"

"Why?" the playful gleam back in her eyes. Good.

"Because, I would rather not be seen. By anyone."

She thought a moment then nodded. Then she sat up further pulling her arm from his grasp to lean on her elbows. Then she closed her eyes and waited. He leaned forward.

When his lips touched hers, Shashi lost her breath. She didn't know what to feel. She was…for lack of a better word, amazed. She felt one of his arms slip around her waist, but she couldn't stop him because of the position she was in. If she moved one of her elbows she would fall onto her back and, considering what she had just been through, that was not the most welcoming position for her to be in. Instead, she simply kissed him back. She almost couldn't help it. It was like she needed him to keep kissing her or she wouldn't be able to breathe, although kissing him meant that she lost her breath. It was a fascinating, and beautifully addicting situation.

He had never kissed anyone like her before. Her lips were so soft. He moved forward to sit next to her and pull her close. He kissed her, and she kissed him, until he couldn't tell who was kissing who anymore. She was…perfect. He wanted this feeling to last, but it was cut short. His sharp ears caught the sound of metal shoes, guards, coming down the hallway. He knew he should go, but he stayed. He heard the banging of an armored fist on the locked door and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he needed to go, but still he lingered.

Shashi barely heard the guards' shouts to break down the door and tried to break the kiss but he wouldn't let go, and she couldn't bring herself to fight him. She heard the crashes as the guards started to break down the door and she tried again to pull away, but still he held her enraptured. Finally, he broke off and pulled her closer to him. The guards hadn't succeeded in breaking the door down yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

"You'd better go." It was all her air defiled body could manage. She was pleased to hear the same amount of breathlessness in the husky voice of her rescuer when he whispered in her ear, "Tell no one about me, love."

She gasped as he kissed her one last time on the cheek before pulling away. "Remember, count to ten."

Quietly, the young man slipped away from the bed letting his hands linger as long as they could on her skin releasing her hand only because he could no longer reach. Then he turned toward the large window overlooking a decently sized balcony and raced into the night.

Shashi had only reached seven when the guards burst into the room and she was forced to open her eyes. She prayed that her rescuer had made it out safely and without being seen.

"My Lady!" one of the guards cried.

"Shashi!" her mother cried, rushing over to her after pausing only momentarily to relight the faerie lights. "Oh, darling are you alright?" She raced past the dead man to the bed Shashi was sitting on and hugged her close weeping in relief. Shashi felt tears of relief fall down her cheeks as well and she did nothing to hold them back. Instead she sobbed into her mother's ready shoulder. Queen Aerith held her beloved daughter close and rocked her like a small child.

"Is he dead?" she heard her mother inquired authoritatively, never one to allow herself forget the circumstances of a given situation easily despite the distractions.

"Aye, your Majesty," replied the captain. "I recognize him through the blood and wounds. He was one of the Royal Hunters. I've seen him around the grounds with those Gabriel Hounds."

Queen Aerith looked around the room and noted with satisfaction that the guards had begun a thorough search for any trace of an ally to the dead man. She nodded to the captain who bowed before turning to help his men in their search. Aerith cooed to her still weeping child, rocking her gently back and forth. But her cooing was interrupted by a disturbance at the door. She looked up to see what all the fuss was about, and saw a dark woman of medium height standing in the doorway trying to get in and arguing animatedly with the guard who was preventing her from doing so.

"Guard, she may enter. Come in, Adra, I need your help," she called.

Adra bowed to her princess, but paused long enough to give a high and mighty sniff at the flustered soldier before continuing over the two women. "Your Majesty," she said, bobbing a curtsey. "Is Lady Shashi alright, ma'am? Do ya think we should take 'er to yer quarters?"

Aerith nodded. "Shashi? Darling? Adra is going to take you to my room for the night. I'll be there shortly, my love."

Love. Her rescuer had called her 'love'. The thought of that young man with the husky voice, and addicting lips, brought a blush to her face. She stood but quickly discovered that covering herself would be a hassle in her now ragged dress. Aerith quickly stood, removing her cape and pinning it around Eri's shoulders.

"Thanks, mom."

"Don't mention it, dear." Shashi paused, her rescuer had said something like that right before he'd left.

"This way, Lady," Adra fussed, pulling Shashi toward the door. But before she left the room, Shashi stopped and stared out the open window into the watery night. She thought of her rescuer, and her fingers unconsciously touched her lips, and she smiled. Then she gave in to Adra's fussing and followed her out of the room.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I hope that caught your attention. Btw, "Shashi" is from RG Veda. **Remember,** send me more CLAMP and other character names as well as the anime/manga they're from so I can look them up and decide which character they fit best.

**Rate and Review!**** ;)**


	2. It Begins

**A/N:** Well, I'm impressed. 2 chapters in 1 night. O.O Wow. Anywho, here's chapter 1.

Enjoy...

**Chapter 1**

**It Begins**

The sun was just setting as Myonfi continued her walk. The path she traveled on was broad, but not smooth. It followed the edge of Mirror Lake which was surrounded by thick woods. Her own village was on the opposite side of the lake.

A chill wind came up and blew her shoulder length, curly, black hair. Her shawl fluttered a bit but stayed securely on her shoulders. Her sandles were tattered and worn. Her shirt and skirt were old and faded.

She looked up the mountainside and saw her goal. A short ways up was a shimmering wooden structure with a marble dome in the center. Her hopes rose. She gathered her strength and ran the rest of the way.

At the end of the road, she stopped and stared. Wooden beams wrapped and wove about each other like the vines that grew through the nooks and crannies. Many colored flowers blossomed giving the place a warm and welcoming feeling. Small dragons in different poses carved of both wood and precious stones were hidden about. Many kinds of birds took flight adding to the color. The wood and vines wove through each other to the great, white, marble dome which glinted red in the sunset.

This magnificent and beautiful place was the Sanctuary of the Dragon of Ages, the lord of dragons and once a great leader in the rebellion against the Raven Lady in the years passed.

Myonfi drew a breath and stepped forward. Her fear and discomfort were replaced by calm and relaxation. Her lightly tanned skin provided a contrast to the multicolored flowers. She walked through the archway to find hidden lanterns which gave off a soft golden glow among the vines and wooden beams.

When she looked back the way she came, she saw the sun was already set. She sighed and returned her gaze forward again, only to see a large, ornate door decorated with a great white dragon.

She reached out to push it open, then puller her hand back anxiously. She closed her amber eyes to gather her courage and tried again. This time, she touched the door and pushed. The portal swung open with a quiet hiss. When she stopped just inside the dome, the door closed silently behind her. She hardly noticed. Her full attention was on her surroundings. Instead of the pale stone roof she expected to see, it was the night sky, complete with the two moons and the stars.

"Why do you come to me, lady?" a kind voice whispered.

Myonfi jumped, then shyly answered, "To ask a favor of the Dragon of Ages."

"I see," came the voice, which almost sounded like a young man's.

There was a pause and Myonfi felt her nervousness, which had been forgotten in the garden, return full force. Suddenly, her sourroundings began to swirl and change. She squeezed her eyes shut to protect them from the overwhelming colors and dizzying vertigo.

When she opened them again, she saw the most beautiful landscape she'd ever seen. Green grass surrounded a crystal clear lake that shimmered in the sunlight. The blue sky was broken only by a stray cloud or so. Butterflies fluttered about and the buzzing of bees was loud. Crickets chirped and birds sang. All around her were rolling hills full of heather and in the distance were purple mountains.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice beside her commented.

Myonfi jumped in surprise and turned to see who had spoken. Standing at her side was a young man only slightly shorter than she with short, pale blue hair and snow white skin. A shimmering, golden tattoo elegantly wrapped around his left eye like a dragon chasing its tail.

"What did you say?" she found herself asking.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the newcomer repeated, turning his head to her, keeping his eyes slightly down. She took a step back and bowed in reverence. She knew that she was in the presence of he whom she sought.

"Great Drafon," she murmured.

"None of that now, my lady," the young man said gently, stretching out his hand to help her rise. "You didn't enter my sanctuary just to bow to me, did you?" Once his guest was on her feet once more, he continued, "Now, Myonfi, tell me. Why have you come here?"

"H-how did you know my name?" she asked, a little unnerved. The youth merely raised his left eyebrow and continued to stare at her nose knowingly. Shyly, she looked down and murmured, "I want a child, lord."

Suddenly, she heard the strangest sound. She looked up, only to see the youth doubled over in laughter. She stared at him startled and hurt by his reaction to her request.

"Forgive me," he said, trying to regain control of himself. "It's just that no one has ever asked me for a child before." Quite recovered now, he grew solemn as he spoke and used his hands to emphasize his words. "I'm usually asked for gold, or riches…or worse." His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms across his chest. "Why do you want a child?"

Myonfi answered with a sadness that surprised her listener. "When I was a young girl, I became ill and now I…" She bit her lip and gazed fixedly at her feet. She could feel the heat of the young man's gaze burn into her. She swallowed and tried to continue, "Great Dragon, all I ask, is that you give me a child. I could care less whether it's a boy or a girl. I just want a child to love, to teach, and to raise."

"And your husband, he wants a child as well?"

"Yes," she raised her head to meet his gaze but her pointedly avoided her eyes.

"Do you think that you will have the time to raise a child while at the sme time, run and maintain a tavern?"

"I will make time," Myonfi said confidently.

Her listener reached up, placed and outstretched finger on his right cheek, and leaned on it thoughtfully. His knowing gaze shifted down but his head remained up. "Would you have me?"

Myonfi's eyes widened and her head whirled.

"I know it's a lot to ask but, you want a child and I want to escape this place. The only way for me to do that, it seems, is by starting at the beginning."

"But, me?"

"You are the first person to enter my sanctuary in centuries. My garden is cursed so that no one could enter. Many have died terrible deaths trying to get to me. It's curious that you are the one it allowed in." The youth sat down on the grass with one leg stretched out and the other bent. He casually rested his left arm on his bent knee and leaned back on his right hand which he placed on the ground behind him for support.

"You mean…the garden…people died…" Myonfi paused. She was the only one to make it through that beautiful garden. That beautiful garden that took lives, and this dragon, this…! "And you did nothing to stop it?" she inquired coldly.

The young man seemed startled by her question. He blinked, his mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to say something but no sound would come forth. He recovered himself quickly. "You don't understand," he said defensively, turning away from her.

"You mean to tell me that you let people die if you didn't want to listen to them?"

"No."

"I could have died if you didn't want to speak to me!" Myonfi shot in fury as she made her way toward the rising youth.

"You don't understand!"

"How could you kill those people? And how could you abandon your followers? You haven't shown yourself in centuries. Hardly anyone believes in you anymore!"

"Stop!" the young man cried, clapping his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out her voice.

"Stop? Why should I stp whn you-"

"I WAS IMPRISONED! I still am! It wasn't my fault. Believe me, if I could have warned those innocent people of the danger, and I tried, I would have. But I couldn't. My powers were blocked by the very same barrier that holds me prisoner in here. I can't leave. All I can do is stand here and watch as loved ones grew old and died, or were slain. I've seen kingdoms rise and fall, armies conquer and be conquered, and I'm still here. Trapped by the very sanctuary built to offer me rest from such things."

Myonfi stood still. His eyes had finally brushed across hers in his sudden burst of emotion. Now she understood why he avoided her gaze before. There was so much emotion in those eyes. His body was that of a young man's, but his eyes were old, world weary, and full of sorrow. And they drained her. She wobbled precariously.

He must have noticed because he steadied her and apologized. She shook him off. She needed to think. She glanced at the dragon lord beside her and knew what she had to do. "Of course, I won't have to sleep with you to give birth to you, right? I'm married and I don't plan on betraying my husband. Besides, the idea of sleeping with the person who'll be your son is a bit…unattractive."

The dragon stared at her incomprehensibly for a minute, then burst into a relieved smile. Then laughed. "No, heaven forbid that happen. No, I'll merely give you my _savorie_ then you are free to return to your husband. Though I would suggest you stay the night here. It's safe and warm and you won't have to worry about bandits."

"Or promiscuous sons-to-be," she winked. She smiled when the young man chuckled. "Alright, give me your _savor_…thing"

"_Savorie._ It's like a soul in a crystallize form." The young man opened his hand and a single, smooth, crystal sphere appeared in his palm. It glowed with an inner light that pulsed like a heartbeat. He met her eyes and handed her the crystal. The instant it touched her skin, it sank beneath the surface. Myonfi recoiled in shock.

"Don't worry, it just means it's within you now. Which means, I'll leave. You won't see me again until you give birth to me. Of course, I probably won't remember much of this meeting until I'm older for obvious reasons."

Myonfi nodded. "One last question."

"Just one?"

She smiled. "What's your name?"

He paused. "Call me Akabara."

"Akabara. Red Rose."

He smiled sadly, then vanished and the nighttime scene returned to the inside of the dome.

XxX

"Take him away from here. The longer he stays, the more danger he's in," a hooded man begged. His dark eyes shifted constantly from the woman before him to the sleeping boy.

"How am I supposed to do that when the house is completely surrounded by armed me?" the frightened maid whispered harshly, yet respectfully.

The hooded man glanced once more at the boy sprawled on the bed of straw. Then he quickly strode over to a section of the wooden floor and ran his fingers through the ridges of the planks, and lifted up. An oddly shaped door swung open to lay topside on the floor. "Through this tunnel," he answered simply.

_Snap!_

Both the man and woman stiffened. The man recovered first and ordered in a harsh whisper, "Grab the blankets Toru. Now!"

The woman rushed immediately to obey. The man ran to the bed, placed his hand on the boy's forehead, and murmured a spell. Then he gently kissed the child's raven locks and whispered, "Be safe, my son."

"Open the door, Ashura!" ordered a harsh, raw-throated voice.

"Quickly, Toru. Hurry!" the man beckoned frantically.

"I'll give you to the count of five. One…" the voice started counting.

Toru gently wrapped the small child in the linens so tightly that, had the boy been awake, he would've been unable to move, and so his face was hidden from view. Then she headed for the little door. The man stopped her and brushed the cloth away from the child's face. He leaned over and kissed the toddler's face once more and whispered, "I will always love you, Luka. Now go, Toru. Go!"

"The Dragon of Ages be with you, my king," the maid whispered back before scrambling through the hatch leaving the man to close it behind them.

The man had only just closed the little door and run to the window when the door was broken down.

"Where do you think you're going, brother? Search the house! The boy has to be here. When you find him, bring him to me," ordered the newcomer. He had long, flowing, white hair, and an angular face that practically demanded obedience.

When the soldiers began carrying out their orders, the leader started towards the still hooded man. "You did well hiding your son from me. But you can't hide him for much longer."

Ashura drew himself up. "You will search a hundred years and still he will elude you. The throne will never be yours."

"Ashura, you always did talk too much." The stranger drew his double edged sword for his companion to see. "I will miss our rivalry, brother."

"You wouldn't dare," the captive gasped.

"I would." With those words, the stranger slashed the former king through the heart. "Search for an escape route. Tear the place down if you have to!"

"Sir!" one of the searchers shouted. The soldier was holding up a trapdoor leading into an underground tunnel. The leader strode briskly over and examined the findings. "Get down there. Get down there!"

Toru held the small bundle still in a _sleepspell_ tightly against her chest. She ran through the darkness as fast as her footsore legs could carry her. She knew this forest backwards and forwards from her childhood. It was just a little farther. The moonlight and fresh night air rushed over her. But she didn't pause to rest, not yet. She had to reach Hemdoria.

The cottage had been located at the top of Dwarf's Peak in the Mountains of Fire. All she had to do was reach the base where she and her bundle could be safe.

She ran through the night. The slope was steep and covered with forest which hid her from the full moon's beams. Her legs ached, it was a struggle to breath, and her side was beginning to catch painfully.

Finally, she felt the ground level out. She was just about to cry with joy when torches lit up all around her. She stopped short seeing she was surrounded. She fell to her knees and squeezed the spellbound child tightly to her chest.

"Please! Leave us alone. He's only a child!" she cried out desperately to the silent flames.

"Hold yer aim," Toru heard one voice call from her right. "It's a woman and a child."

Toru looked up to see a man with scraggily red hair and light skin, an exact contrast to her dark hair and tan skin. The man knelt down to her level and asked not ungently, "What are you doing here? With a child no less?" His voice sounded genuinely worried.

"They want to kill him," she whispered.

"Who?" the man asked.

"I have to take him to Hemdoria," she continued deliriously.

"You've found it. Now tell me, who wants to kill the child?"

"They're right behind me. Oh, my lord. Forgive me, little one, for not getting you to safety. Oh, baby Lu…L…" Toru never finished. The eternal sleep had reached her at last. Her words stopped, her eyes glazed over, and she fell to the ground dead; literally dead from exhaustion and fear. The baby still clutched tightly to her chest.

"She's dead," the man said calmly after checking for Toru's life beat. He turned to the tightly wrapped child who had begun to cry. "Bring the torch over here."

A man ran from out of the shadows carrying a torch in his hand. The other village men had slowly come out of their hiding places and were moving nearer to the interesting spectacle.

Gently, the re headed man gathered up the bundle and began undoing the blankets. He saw the soft black eyes set in a lightly tanned face framed by midnight locks stare back at him. The toddler squirmed out of the man's grasp and tumbled to the ground with a yelp. He struggled to free himself from the blankets; once free, the toddler rubbed his onyx eyes and stared uncomprehendingly at the many faces before him. When he saw the scraggily haired man, he blinked and cocked his head to the side in interest. Staggering to his feet, he took several shaky steps towards the man. When he started to fall, the red head caught him.

"Papa?" the toddler asked curiously.

The man didn't get the chance to answer, for at that moment a warning call was made. More people were coming. "Doran, Ramar, help me take the woman and the child to the village. The rest of you, be on your guard. If anyone crosses the border armed, kill them."

Then he turned and followed the village bound men. One carried the dead woman while the other carried the boy and several others followed for defensive purposes. You could never be too careful.

XxX

The halls of Ryonfi echoed with Lady Kendappa's cries. The midwives rushed to and fro trying desperately to keep the birth giving mother comfortable. A _truthseer_ watched from a corner of the room. Her shadowy black hair shaded her deep black eyes set in her tan face. She watched as the excitement peaked and the child was born.

The _truthseer_ glimpsed the child's face as a midwife announced it was a boy. Curious, she moved closer to the mover who now held her newborn son in her arms.

"Lady Kendappa?" she asked.

Weakly, the new mother turned her head letter sweat soaked raven locks fall around her face. Her deep eyes were tired but clear as she looked at the _truthseer_. "Yes, Soma," she whispered.

"May I see the child?"

Kendappa nodded and handed the boy to Soma who held the child up so she could see him in the dim candlelight. She thought it strange for the child to be born in the middle of winter. Elves tended to give birth in the Spring the same time nature gives birth to new life. Or maybe she was just unnerved by the seemingly constant howling of the wolves outside. She had thought it too strange to be coincidence.

She had thought everything to be merely dreamed up by an overactive imagination and over exhausted body.

But now, as she saw the snow white skin and those two frightened golden eyes, she knew. She had to tell the Oracle. But first, she muttered a quick spell that had been handed down to her from her ancestors.

When she finished, she handed the newborn back to its mother saying, "He is very beautiful."

"Soma, does he..." she didn't finish her sentence when she saw her personal guard nod sadly.

"I see," she whispered.

"If you'll excuse me," Soma murmured, bowing low. She turned to go with the midwives following her. The midwives opened the door to allow the man pacing anxiously outside to enter.

"Lord Tennou," Soma acknowledged with a polite nod as she passed the man.

"Soma," the man called, grasping her arm and pulling her back, "my wife…is she?"

"Fine my lord, if a bit tired. Your wife has a nice half-breed son. I believe you will be proud of him some day."

The flame haired elf released her arm and ran to his wife's bedside leaving Soma to continue on her way. "Ken," he murmured gently.

"Tennou," Kendappa whispered with a weary smile. She reached up to touch her husband's long red hair.

"Are you in pain?" he asked, then blushed and looked away in embarrassment. Of course she was in pain. She'd just given birth.

"Not much," Kendappa assured him. "We Elven women are stronger than you think." At that moment, the baby started crying again. Tennou blinked in surprise when he saw a child the color of snow and eyes like molten gold. Hesitantly he reached out and picked up the child and held him gently.

"He's a boy, Tennou. I've decided to call him Kazuki," Kendappa breathed.

"He's albino," Tennou murmured, trying to recover from his initial surprise.

"Yes, but he's beautiful." Her eyes were sad as she sighed, "That's why he must be taken away from this place."

Tennou looked from the child in his arms to his wife's penetrating gaze with his keen blue eyes. "Taken away?"

Kendappa took a deep breath as she fought back exhaustion, "Yes. If he stays, he will be treated badly. He must be raised in a place where he will not be treated cruelly for something he has no control over." She lay back then, and closed her eyes.

"Rayearth."

Kendappa opened her eyes. "Rayearth?"

"Yes. It's a small island in the bay just south of Sacaraban. Many half-breeds live there in peace, even," he hesitated "the illegitimate ones. I have a friend there who once saved my life. Her name is Yuko. Kazuki will be safe with her."

"We must do this secretly, love. You know what the Council will do if they get their hands on him. I want no harm to come to him." With that, she drifted into a deep restorative sleep.

Meanwhile, another member of the household rushed through the halls to her rooms. Once inside, she closed and locked her door. Then she hurried over to a cloth covered bowl of water on a nearby stand

. She took the knife lying by the bowl in her fist and slit the palm of her hands squeezing the drops of blood into the already murky liquid.

Setting the knife down she called, "My Lady, your servant brings you news."

The water began steaming as the liquid swirled around in a counterclockwise direction. "What news do you have for me? I am rather busy," a smooth, chocolate-like feminine voice answered.

The summoner shuddered. "I thought you might like to know that the one you seek has been reborn as an illegitimate half-breed."

"Indeed?" the voice sound almost pleasantly amused.

"I am told he has white hair and golden eyes, just like the he did in the past."

"…white hair…golden eyes…" Silence. "It would seem, your information is faulty, my servant," the voice said, an edge returning to it. "Did you see the child yourself?"

"I was not allowed in the birthing room, my Lady," the speaker shudder.

Silence.

"You have failed me. The child you have described is _not_ the one I seek. I seek one whose eyes are blue, not gold. However, the one you have described does remind me of another annoyance. Kill it to be sure. I have enough on my place at the moment as it is. And remember this, Xing Huo. If you fail me again, and the child lives, you shall be sure your position as a traitor is exposed. You are expendable after all."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I hope y'all enjoyed that. I'm so tired my eyelids are literally falling shut and I can hardly type right. I **still** need more CLAMP character names. ;)

**Question:** Did anyone catch the main characters who weren't CLAMP related?

**Rate and Review!**** ;)**


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